Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I would like to make a comment before we begin. I saw the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, give a contribution in the Seanad yesterday. When I saw that contribution I nearly did not believe it and a combination of emotions came forward, including upset, anger, frustration and annoyance. Those are the most parliamentary and suitable words I can use. I was thinking of all the families that have been waiting on legislation to recognise their children who have been born through surrogacy and how they must have felt about the situation if that was how I felt.

His comments were appalling and shocking and we need to know exactly what our role and remit is in this committee. We all came onto this committee wanting to genuinely make a difference and regardless of members' views on surrogacy, everybody on this committee wants to see that the children who have been born already and whom we all know and love in our communities would at least have the retrospection and recognition handled and dealt with. Families have been given hope and I know as a Deputy that any parliamentary question I tabled and had answered always pointed to the fact that this committee would be set up and then I was delighted to be able to be part of the committee. I would like the Minister to come into our committee meeting on 9 June and to clarify exactly what his position and the position of the Department of Health is on this committee. I would like a guarantee and assurance before we draft our report that our recommendations will be taken on board, that this is not a talking shop and a tick-the-box exercise and that what we recommend will be included in the assisted human reproduction, AHR, Bill. That is vital and the Minister also needs to acknowledge the hurt and upset he has caused for many families.

I am sick of people trying to say the creation of this committee is somehow delaying the AHR Bill, which has been at pre-legislative stage since 2017, five years ago. This committee, which is working extremely well and effectively, is not delaying the AHR Bill in any way, shape or form. I would like the Minister to clarify that and he needs to do so in our public session next week. I reiterate that my experience on the committee is that we are all committed to ensuring that legislation is drafted to recognise those families and children. It is long overdue and I nearly could not believe what I witnessed yesterday. I was not physically there but when I saw it I was shocked and appalled. It was unbelievably disingenuous and disrespectful. We are colleagues in this Oireachtas and he has undermined our position. I would like all of that to be clarified. I apologise for delaying the meeting.